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The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether hotels that use a revenue management system (RMS) outperform non-RMS-users in a context of decreasing demand.

A database of chain hotels with a rating of three or more stars was used to estimate MANOVA and ANOVA models to analyse the role of RMSs in hotel performance.

In a context of strong competition in prices and surplus capacity, the findings suggest that RMSs have been more effective in improving occupancy than in achieving higher rates. Also, the use of RMSs did not have a significant impact on hotel labour productivity.

Managers may believe that they have adopted an RMS when, in fact, they have not fully done so. In addition, establishment-level unobserved heterogeneity, such as the quality of management or unobserved quality of service, cannot be fully controlled because of the nature of the data used. The main implication of this paper is that the potential of RMSs as revenue enhancer might be influenced by unstable market and economic conditions. However, the absence of significant effects on RevPAR performance might be also the result of firms’ adopting inadequate RM strategies. Further research could investigate whether the findings are context-specific or whether firms are failing to implement effective RMSs for other reasons.

The approach used in this paper is new to the literature, given that it uses statistical methods to analyse the impact of implementing an RMS on hotel performance under specific economic conditions and using alternative indicators.

This paper aims to analyse empirically the association between flows of foreign direct investment (FDI), net official development assistance (ODA) inflows and trade-related illicit financial outflows.

With this purpose, a linear model was estimated, using different panel-data estimators, and using a database for a sample of 49 countries spanning the period 2008–2017. The used measure of illicit financial outflows was based on the estimates by Global Financial Integrity of deliberate misinvoicing in merchandise trade.

Research findings show a significant and positive association between changes in both relative lagged net FDI flows and relative FDI outflows (as % of gross domestic product) and changes in the ratio of trade-related illicit capital outflows to total trade. However, these positive associations were only observed in the case of low-income countries. Also, the positive association of net ODA inflows on the IFFT outflows were restricted to the cluster of lower-middle-income countries.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to empirically estimate the association between FDI and ODA flows and trade misinvoicing at a macroeconomic level. Research findings may contribute to substantiate the concerns expressed in previous research about the potential unintended effects of aid on illicit capital flight in the case of lower-middle-income countries. They also shown that FDI flows could be an additional conduit for trade-related illicit financial flows in these countries

This paper aims to compare the impacts of adaptive daily and seasonal cooling setpoints on cooling energy consumption and overheating hours to determine which approach is more effective in a desert climate, develop a methodology that effectively integrates passive strategies with adaptive daily and seasonal cooling setpoint strategies and assess how future climate conditions will impact these strategies in the medium and long term.

(1) Integrate adaptive thermal comfort principles into mechanical cooling systems to find the optimized cooling setpoint. (2) Evaluating the optimized cooling setpoints using a mixed-mode operation: In this step, the natural ventilation is activated by opening 40% of the window area when the indoor temperature is higher than 23°C and the outdoor temperature. Both the adaptive seasonal and daily setpoint strategies are evaluated. (3) If overheating hours exceed acceptable limits gradually add mitigation measures (e.g. exterior shading, cool roofs and green roofs). (4) If necessary, further reduce the cooling setpoint until acceptable limits are met. (5) Generate extreme future climate scenarios and evaluate the optimized model. (6) Implement additional measures and setpoint adjustments to maintain acceptable overheating hours in future conditions.

Although the building complies with the Dubai Green Code and uses external shading, its cooling energy consumption was 92 kWh/m² in 2021 with a 24°C setpoint. Using the adaptive seasonal setpoint combined with a cool roof, night cooling and cross-ventilation reduces cooling energy consumption by 52, 48 and 35% in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, with overheating hours not exceeding 40 h annually. Using an adaptive daily setpoint strategy with the same mitigation measures is similarly effective; it achieved a 57, 42 and 34% reduction in cooling energy consumption in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, while eliminating overheating hours.

The originality and value of this study lie in optimizing cooling setpoints without the effect of overheating hours in desert climates. Using the adaptive seasonal setpoint combined with a cool roof, night cooling and cross-ventilation reduces cooling energy consumption by 52, 48 and 35% in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, with overheating hours not exceeding 40 h annually. Using an adaptive daily setpoint strategy with the same mitigation measures is similarly effective; it achieved a 57, 42 and 34% reduction in cooling energy consumption in 2020, 2050 and 2090, respectively, while eliminating overheating hours.

• (1)

  A methodology is developed to find the optimal cooling setpoints

• (2)

  Adaptive thermal comfort concept is extended for integration with a cooling system

• (3)

  Validation simulation model is used using certain building information

• (4)

  Climate change effect is studied using current and future warmer typical years

• (5)

  Effective passive summer mitigation measures are studied

A methodology is developed to find the optimal cooling setpoints

Adaptive thermal comfort concept is extended for integration with a cooling system

Validation simulation model is used using certain building information

Climate change effect is studied using current and future warmer typical years

Effective passive summer mitigation measures are studied